PLANT TREES

Shannon News, 24 November 1925, Page 3

PLANT TREES

DERELICT LAND TURNED INTO A FOREST. Strenuous efforts are being made to recover England's position a s a Umber-producing country, and to overcome the setback caused by ex. tensive felling during the war. "There are between two and three miHion acres in this country which are unproductive for agricultural -.urposes, and could be turned into "orest land," said the assistant mana. o-cr of the English Forestry Association to the "Morning Post." "Some >oople have even estimated the acreagc'at five millions. Everywhere we are advising people who are getting no return on their land by farming it, - -ind who have to pay rates and taxes, to plant trees by a careful system of rotation. A great deal of derelict productive land by planting, which often proves more satisfactory than implanting the old woods and forests. During the war many people sold their timber at high prices, but in. stead of putting away a'certain sum ;or replanting, allowed undergrowth, etc., to grow up. The result was that 'when they decided to plant again the woods were overjgrown with briars and rubbish, which entailed great ex. penditure- in cleaning. This ' shows that planting fresh land is often better than replanting the old." Although the association managed to plant about 1000 acres a year ror liil'erent people all over the country, it mot with V'.eat difficulties, especL. -uiv in the industrial districts. It was impossible to prevent the wilful des. i traction of tree s by those who would 1 -c-allv benefit from them. Since the I war the Ministry for Woods and Forests has acquired . 141,000 acres of I land for the purpose of planting on the 10 years' rotation system. .Of Shis hind 100,000 ares had never been woodland before, and 39,000 acres ! have already been planted.